The buggy wasn’t driven by Trump, but is thought to be his “getaway vehicle” should anyone open fire on the course. The black, obviously armored vehicle followed Trump around as he played golf, with many experts noting that it bore similarities to “The Beast” — Trump’s protective vehicle stateside.
Yeah, if you didn’t have plates, you didn’t have anything. The later shoulder pads and crotch “protector” did nothing but add weight.
Edit: also, being tall, it was more of a pelvis protector than crotch.